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In many markets, USSD-based mobile banking solutions are adopted as a means to advance financial inclusion, enabling access to basic banking services without the need for internet connectivity or smartphones.While these solutions are undeniably simple and cost-effective, their alignment with recognised information security management standards requires careful and objective evaluation, particularly within regulated financial environments. The USSD Authentication Model The typical USSD authentication model relies on two primary elements: a mobile number registered with the telecom operator. a numeric PIN entered by the user. From an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 risk management perspective, this model presents inherent structural limitations that must be explicitly acknowledged and assessed. Key Security Risks in a USSD Context Confidentiality of authentication information: PINs are entered in plain text and may be observed, conflicting with the principle of protecting sensitive information. Reliance on SIM possession: SIM swap and SIM cloning attacks undermine identity assurance and access control mechanisms. Lack of asset binding: the absence of device-level trust weakens logical access controls. Single-factor dependency: compromise of a single factor can result in full account compromise, increasing residual risk. Absence of end-to-end encryption: exposure of data within third-party telecom infrastructures challenges confidentiality and integrity requirements. Transaction Authorisation and Control Effectiveness In SIM swap scenarios, transaction confirmation mechanisms that rely on the same communication channel, such as SMS, USSD-based OTPs or voice calls, do not constitute independent controls.From an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standpoint, this creates control dependencies that significantly reduce overall effectiveness.For users limited to feature phones, physical hardware tokens remain the only truly independent second factor capable of mitigating this risk. However, they introduce additional operational cost, distribution challenges and lifecycle management complexity, often conflicting with financial inclusion objectives.Experience from large-scale deployments, including M-Pesa, confirms that SIM swap fraud is a material and recurring risk, with measurable financial, operational and consumer protection implications. The NEARSOFT Digital Banking Platform Approach As smartphone adoption increases, including in emerging markets, more robust, auditable and proportionate security control frameworks become feasible.The NEARSOFT Digital Banking Platform is developed and operated by NEARSOFT, an organisation certified under ISO/IEC 27001:2022, supported by a formally implemented and externally audited Information Security Management System (ISMS).Within this framework, the platform is designed with: Device binding as a trusted asset: logical access is restricted to registered and validated devices, strengthening access control and mitigating SIM-based attacks. Layered and risk-based authentication: multiple authentication factors are orchestrated according to transaction risk. Independent authorisation for sensitive operations: critical transactions require controls that are not dependent on SIM ownership. End-to-end encryption: ensuring confidentiality and integrity from the client device through to the banking core. A Risk-Based Path to Sustainable Inclusion Financial inclusion remains a strategic priority. However, under ISO/IEC 27001:2022, inclusion mechanisms must be supported by documented risk assessment, appropriate control selection and continuous improvement.As connectivity improves and smartphone penetration continues to grow, regulators and financial institutions have a clear opportunity to progressively transition from SIM-centric models to device-trusted, cryptographically protected digital channels, without excluding underserved populations.The NEARSOFT Digital Banking Platform demonstrates that: "Financial Inclusion, Information Security and Regulatory Compliance are not mutually exclusive. They are mutually reinforcing."

Introduction Digital banking is evolving rapidly. Customers no longer see mobile apps and online banking as simple tools for transactions — they expect a seamless, engaging experience that goes beyond payments and transfers. For banks, this shift opens up a unique opportunity: to use digital channels as strategic communication hubs that build trust, educate clients, and promote innovation. Why Communication Matters in Digital Banking For many years, digital banking was designed primarily around operations: checking balances, making transfers, paying bills. Today, however, digital channels can play a much broader role: Promoting new products and services directly in the app. Providing timely financial education that improves customer literacy. Delivering real-time alerts and security messages to strengthen trust. Encouraging customer engagement with features that increase loyalty. By unlocking these possibilities, banks transform digital channels into a vital extension of their brand and relationship with customers.   Examples of How to Engage Customers Through Digital Channels Promotional Campaigns: Make offers relevant and engaging with geo-targeted promotions, dynamic in-app banners and gamified challenges — turning promotions into experiences customers actually want.Example notification: “You’re near one of our partner stores — pay with your company card and get 5% cashback today!” New Products & Services: Encourage adoption of new features through gamification, micro-tutorials, timely push notifications and interactive assistants — inviting customers to explore and build habits instead of just reading announcements.Example notification: “Travelling soon? Enable your card’s new Travel Mode in one tap for secure payments abroad.” Financial Education: Deliver quick, engaging lessons with short videos, in-app quizzes and progress trackers — positioning the bank as a trusted advisor.Example notification: “Tip of the week: Automate your savings and grow your emergency fund twice as fast.” Online Security: Send proactive, scenario-based alerts, use relatable storytelling and even interactive phishing simulations — strengthening trust and reducing fraud risks.Example notification: “We detected a login from a new device. Was this you? Tap Yes/No to confirm.” The Benefits for Banks Turning digital channels into communication tools delivers measurable results for financial institutions: Higher engagement and product adoptionWhen customers receive relevant, timely and personalised messages, they are more likely to explore and use new features, adopt additional services and interact more frequently with the bank’s digital channels. Stronger customer relationships built on trustTransparent, proactive communication — from security alerts to educational content — shows that the bank cares about its customers’ needs, strengthening loyalty and long-term relationships. Improved financial literacy and reduced service callsBy educating customers directly within digital channels, banks empower them to make better financial decisions. This not only adds value but also decreases routine inquiries and support costs. Enhanced reputation through proactive security alertsReal-time, scenario-based alerts and clear best-practice tips reassure customers, reduce fraud and position the bank as a secure, forward-thinking partner. Digital channels are no longer limited to transactions — they are the future of customer relationships. By embracing communication as a core element of their digital strategy, banks can unlock new opportunities for growth, loyalty, and innovation.   At Nearsoft, we help financial institutions transform their digital channels into powerful tools for engagement and success.Contact us to learn more. Want a quick overview? Check out our social media series: 5 Ways to Unlock the Full Potential of Your Digital Channels – Episode 1 

It’s important to be aware of design’s origins and history. As a subject, it was created in the 20th century with the foundation of its first schools, the Bauhaus as one of its biggest progressors in Germany. Due to its, evolvingly, crucial role, during conflicts in the 20th century, and uses for engineering, propaganda and communication, production of military uniforms, it started to be interpreted as more than just as an aesthetic thing but, also, as something useful. During World War I, a very memorable and timeless example, of design’s impact on social and political matters, is the “I want you for U.S. Army” poster used for recruiting soldiers at that time. Graphic design and illustration had a major impact on society in World War II as it was, once again, used to create posters and other materials to promote patriotism, demonize enemies and encourage enlistment and support for the war effort. During the conflicts of Russia, it, also, impacted the production of military uniforms since they were designed for functionality, durability and harsh weather conditions. Excuse me for the dark examples, but, if you see the news today, and compare it to history, you associate the similar patterns, used through time, as a very effective way of communication and awareness.“I want you for U.S. Army” poster by James Montgomery Flagg, 1917I hope that, by now, you have a slight understanding of how impactful and important design can be (it doesn’t save lives, I know, but it can create awareness to different social, political and economic matters). With this, you can understand how frustrating it can be when we hear something like “make it prettier”, as if it’s only about a superficial point of view. Design is not just about aesthetics, although they’re also important and contribute to the effectiveness of the design, it must be functional and transmit a message. In the design industry, you have many types of designers specialized in different areas like interior designers, communication designers, graphic designers, user experience designers, user interface designers, product designers, motion designers and many, many more. These roles are often confused and understood as “It’s the same thing! If you can do one, you can do it all” but that isn’t, necessarily, the reality of it.I can’t speak for all designers, but I want, with this article, to educate whoever reads this and has been, so far, reading, what the role of a designer is, in whatever they specialize on. To give my unique perspective, as a UX/UI Designer, here are the main responsibilities of a User Experience Designer and a User Interface Designer.A User Experience Designer is responsible for understanding the product and user’s needs, expectations and frustrations. How users interact with the product and how we can improve their experience ensuring durability of the product lifecycle, this according to team limitations, urgency and client’s wishes. Some of the tasks that a UX Designer is responsible for is user research (user interviews, surveys, create user personas, understand user needs, behaviors and pain points), information architecture (sitemaps, userflows, user journeys, lo-fi wireframes creating the overall structure of the product) and usability testing and interaction.A User Interface Designer, on the other hand, is responsible for defining the look and feel of the interface respecting brand guidelines and creating interface guidelines to maintain a coherent visual throughout the product. Their tasks are creating layouts, selecting color palettes, choosing the right icons and illustrations, designing interactive elements, usability testing and organizing design systems with the team.“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”Steve Jobs.To close this article, the creator of one of the biggest and highly acclaimed brands that we know, Steve Jobs, used a strong design philosophy that is the essence of the success of Apple and its products. The key aspect of his philosophy lies on his commitment to user experience, simplicity and creating beautiful and functional products. And this is why the knowledge and voice of a designer is so important on making decisions about how a product is going to work and behave.

My name is Pedro Camacho . I'm a software engineer with over two decades of experience and currently the co-founder and CEO of Nearsoft, a tech company specializing in developing and managing digital banking platforms across multiple countries. I've decided to share some key moments that contributed to Nearsoft's success. The first significant event occurred in 2013. I discovered the power of Linux Containers, using Docker, Inc , which transformed my approach to software development, particularly regarding maintenance, deployment, and architecture. Discovering Docker: A Game-Changing Eureka Moment Having seen Solomon Hykes first presentation of Docker, Inc at PyCon 2013, its potential blew me away. I immediately started following the GitHub project and began using Docker in every possibleapplication.  When I found Nearsoft in 2017, containerization became a fundamental part of our software development approach. Every software package was containerized from day one, and Docker, Inc played an integral role in our success and agility. Its ability to streamline deployment, testing, and scaling allowed us to build faster, adapt quickly to change, and consistently deliver high-quality software to our clients. The Docker Revolution: Transforming DevOps and Software Architecture The software development landscape has undergone significant transformations over the past decade, with DevOps practices rising to prominence and Docker emerging as a game-changer.Docker, an open-source platform for automating application deployment via containerization, has profoundly influenced the way we architect software. By offering lightweight, portable, and consistent environments for applications, Docker has revolutionized DevOps and reshaped modern software architecture. Let's explore how Docker has contributed to this transformation. The Evolution of DevOps Before delving into Docker's impact, it's essential to understand DevOps. DevOps is a set of practices that unify software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops), promoting collaboration and efficiency. It emphasizes automation, continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), and a culture of shared responsibility. However, achieving these goals can be challenging without the right tools. This is where Docker comes in. Docker: A Brief Overview Docker introduced the concept of containerization to the mainstream, allowing developers to package applications and their dependencies into standardized units called containers. These containers run consistently across various environments, reducing the "it works on my machine" problem. Docker containers are lightweight and fast to start, making them ideal for dynamic, scalable systems. Docker's Impact on DevOps 1. Consistency Across Environments Docker ensures that applications behave the same way across different environments. Whether it's a developer's laptop, a test environment, or a production server, containers deliver consistent performance. This removes environment-specific issues that frequently hinder development and deployment. 2. Simplified Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Docker seamlessly integrates with CI/CD pipelines, enabling automated testing and deployment of applications. Developers can build, test, and ship code faster, reducing cycle times and increasing the frequency of releases. Automated testing inside containers also leads to higher-quality code. 3. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Alignment Docker aligns well with the IaC philosophy. With Docker Compose, developers can define multi-container applications as code, specifying services, networks, and volumes in simple configuration files. This approach ensures reproducibility and simplifies version control for infrastructure. 4. Microservices Architecture The rise of microservices architecture, where applications are built as a collection of loosely coupled services, has been accelerated by Docker. Containers offer isolation, scalability, and rapid deployment, all of which are crucial for microservices. Teams can deploy individual services independently and use orchestration tools like Kubernetes to manage them. 5. Resource Efficiency and Scalability Containers are lightweight compared to virtual machines, reducing resource consumption. Docker containers can be scaled horizontally, making them suitable for cloud-native applications. Organizations can optimize infrastructure costs while maintaining performance. 6. Security Improvements While containers present new security challenges, they also offer benefits. Docker provides isolation between applications, reducing the impact of a compromised component. Additionally, Docker's security features and best practices, such as image signing and scanning, help safeguard containerized applications. Conclusion The Docker, Inc revolution has fundamentally altered how software is developed, deployed, and managed. By providing a consistent and efficient environment for applications, Docker has become indispensable in DevOps practices. It empowers teams to innovate faster, deliver better software, and adapt to ever-evolving business needs. As organizations continue to embrace microservices, cloud computing, and CI/CD pipelines, Docker will remain at the forefront of this transformative journey, enabling the next generation of software architecture.

New Markets | Exploring Toronto with Nearsoft | Part #01 As the CEO of Nearsoft, a company at the forefront of technological innovation, I, Pedro Camacho, have always been inspired by visionaries who foresaw the potential of the digital era.During my recent two-week work in Toronto, Canada, I uncovered a historic gem - the building where Marshall McLuhan, "The Prophet of The Digital Age", hosted his legendary public sessions. This building was known as The University of Toronto's "Coach House Institute", renamed the "McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology" in his honor in 2016. McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology, Pedro Camacho April 2024, Toronto, Canada This experience offered me a profound connection to the roots of digital prophecy and McLuhan's enduring legacy.Marshall McLuhan, despite his innovative contributions to communication theory and remarkably accurate predictions about the digital age, faced certain resistance and skepticism within the academic community for several reasons.  McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology, Pedro Camacho April 2024, Toronto, Canada Even without universal acceptance by all academics at the university, Marshall McLuhan did not let this hinder his pursuit of knowledge and innovation in the field of media theory.His resilience and dedication to exploring the intricacies of media's impact on society led him to hold open sessions at the Coach House Institute.This venue became a focal point for intellectual exchange, where McLuhan freely shared his groundbreaking ideas with both supporters and skeptics alike.The Coach House Institute sessions exemplify McLuhan's commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional academic discourse and fostering an environment of open inquiry, irrespective of the prevailing academic skepticism of his time. Full recording of a Monday Night Seminar at Coach House Institute at Toronto University (1969/1972) His unconventional approach and sometimes enigmatic ideas contributed to this perception, inspiring me! "The more years I spend building and expanding globally Nearsoft, the more I believe that the great disruptors who find unique angles to approach complex problems are never consensual. They create friction with the status quo and invariably evoke exponential emotions in others."Pedro Camacho, April 2024 Some people fear change and make excuses not to appreciate it, while others understand and become loyal—your team, collaborators, and partners on the journey to success. McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology, Pedro Camacho April 2024, Toronto, Canada Marshall McLuhan's work and insights hold a special place in the realm of technology and communication, offering profound reasons why technologists and the broader technology community should admire him. Here are some key reasons: Visionary Predictions McLuhan's predictions about the digital age and the internet, made long before these technologies became ubiquitous, demonstrate his exceptional foresight. His concept of the "global village" accurately foretold the interconnectedness of the world through electronic communication, a reality we live in today with the internet. Technologists can admire McLuhan for his ability to see beyond the immediate horizon of technological development and understand the broader implications for society. Understanding Media's Influence The phrase "the medium is the message" encapsulates McLuhan's belief that the technology or medium through which we communicate affects society not just by the content delivered but by changing how we interact with the world and with each other. This insight is invaluable for technologists, who create the platforms and mediums that define modern communication, reminding them to consider the broader impact of their creations on human interaction and societal structures. Interdisciplinary Approach  McLuhan's work crossed various fields, including literature, psychology, and sociology, to analyze and predict the effects of media on individuals and societies. This interdisciplinary approach is something that technologists and innovators can admire and emulate, as the most groundbreaking advancements often occur at the intersection of different fields. Emphasis on Participatory Media Long before the rise of social media, McLuhan envisioned a future where media would be participatory and users would not only consume content but also produce it. This prediction has come true in the digital age, where user-generated content dominates. Technologists can appreciate McLuhan's early recognition of this shift, which has profound implications for how technology platforms are designed and operated. Critical Perspective on Technological Determinism McLuhan's work offers a nuanced view of technological determinism, the idea that technology shapes society. His insights help technologists understand that while technology is a powerful force in societal change, how society adopts and adapts to technology is complex and multifaceted. This understanding is crucial for responsible innovation. Educational Influence McLuhan's teachings and writings have educated generations about the significance of media and technology in shaping human consciousness and societal structures. For technologists and educators alike, McLuhan's work continues to be a rich source of insights on the impact of media and technology on learning and cognition. Legacy of Innovation McLuhan's legacy is one of innovation in thought and perspective. He challenged prevailing views and encouraged a deeper examination of the role of technology in society. For technologists like my seft, admiring McLuhan means embracing a mindset that questions, innovates, and looks beyond the conventional, to understand not just how technology works, but how it changes us.In essence, Marshall McLuhan's work provides critical frameworks for understanding the implications of technological advancements, making him a figure of immense admiration for those involved in shaping the future of technology.ConclusionMy interest in scrutinizing Marshall McLuhan's thoughts is currently very high; I will delve deeper into his ideas and mainly into his multidisciplinary vision to understand many of the topics so relevant to our society today in the coming weeks.I will return shortly with more of my learnings about the city of Toronto, Canada, where NEARSOFT is expanding its network of projects and businesses.#GoNEARSOFT #Disruption #NearsoftNorthAmerica #DigitalBanking

Traditional digital signing processes, rooted in Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificates, often present a myriad of challenges for users, making them a cumbersome and frustrating experience. The complexity begins with issuing digital certificates, which requires users to navigate through a rigorous and sometimes opaque validation process by a Certificate Authority (CA). This not only introduces delays but also adds an unnecessary layer of complexity for individuals and organizations alike. Moreover, managing PKI certificates entails significant overheads, including the need for regular renewals and the risk of certificate revocation or expiration, further complicating the user experience. Additionally, the centralized nature of PKI systems introduces potential security vulnerabilities, as they rely on the integrity and security of the issuing authorities.This centralized model contrasts sharply with the decentralized, user-friendly, and inherently secure approach offered by blockchain technology in document signing and verification processes. By moving away from PKI certificates, e-seal eliminates these pain points, offering a seamless, efficient, and more secure experience for users, and revolutionizing the way we think about and handle digital document security.The innovative e-seal from NEARSOFT empowers both individuals and organizations to safeguard their documents against fraud, all at an exceptionally affordable rate per digital seal.As we are currently in the beta phase across various institutions, we're pleased to offer special pricing conditions to our next 100 clients.For more details, please download the brochure from the e-seal website and reach out to our sales team.